Farm operations
1,133
Avg 275 ac / farm
2022 USDA Census IA · FIPS 19121 Bottom quartile by state sales HEAVY CROP-LED
Madison County, Iowa - Farm Data
Agricultural and commodity intelligence for Madison County. Ranked #76 of 99 counties in Iowa.
311,851 acres of agricultural land
- Cropland
- 69.1% 215,369 acres
- Other land
- 30.9% 96,482 acres
USDA NASS · 2022 Census of Agriculture
Madison County received $15.35 in Census government payments per agricultural acre, 0.6× the Iowa county median of $25.16.
According to the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture.
- $15.35
- government payments per agricultural acre
- $25.16
- Iowa county median per acre
- 0.61×
- Iowa median per acre
Payments per acre use the same NASS county table for receipts and acreage. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series.
According to the 2022 USDA NASS Census of Agriculture, Madison County, Iowa is a CROP-LED county with federal farm payments per acre that stamp HEAVY; commodity sales sit near state median and it shows above-typical federal dependence.
Commodity sales
$235.5M
0.59× state median -- Near state median
Federal payments
$4.8M
2.0% of sales -- Above-typical dependence
Net farm income
$55.3M
2022 cash income -- Below-typical net income
C
Farm economy grade: C -- Madison County's net farm income sits at the 71th percentile among 3,046 NASS-reporting counties nationally (2022 Census). Percentile-benchmarked, not a same-state comparison like the tier label above.
What the Madison County Farm Data Shows
Madison County, Iowa reads as a CROP-LED county with HEAVY federal payment intensity. In the NASS Census vocabulary this portal uses, cropland is 50% to 75% of agricultural land, a profile where ARC/PLC eligibility and crop insurance density matter more than pasture-side disaster titles; payments per agricultural acre fall in the second-highest national quintile, $11.30 to $18.39 an acre, heavy federal support relative to the acreage.
The state comparisons on this page use the 99 of 99 Iowa counties with published commodity sales, averaging the two central values when the count is even. Payments per acre use the 99 counties that report both receipts and acreage, and net-income peers are the 99 that reported a profit.
Pair the payment peers below before treating any single county as representative of Iowa.
Read with Madison County
Nearest NASS federal-payment peers and $/acre poles for Madison (HEAVY · CROP-LED), replacing the old fixed Related and same-state alphabetical strip.
HEAVY CROP-LED
Gray County, TX · MID
$4.8M federal receipts is higher by $15K than Madison; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Madison County, MT · LIGHT
$4.8M federal receipts is lower by $18K than Madison; land stamp PASTURE-LED vs CROP-LED.
Childress County, TX · MID
$4.8M federal receipts is lower by $30K than Madison; land stamp MIXED vs CROP-LED.
Aroostook County, ME · HEAVY
$4.8M federal receipts is higher by $33K than Madison; land stamp CROP-LED vs CROP-LED.
Woodford County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Woodford sits near Madison on payments-per-acre ($15.33) while total receipts differ.
Riverside County (HEAVY $/acre pole)
Riverside sits near Madison on payments-per-acre ($15.21) while total receipts differ.
Iowa ERS state roll-up
Madison stamps HEAVY · CROP-LED inside Iowa's NASS county table, open the state ERS payment stack next.
Census payments leaderboard
Open the national ranking of U.S. counties by NASS federal farm program payments to see the counties around Madison under the HEAVY intensity band.
What to do with this
Three places to go next from Madison County, Iowa:
- See how Iowa compares nationally on ERS farm payments and income. Iowa state page
- Browse the full county table to compare payment intensity across the country. All counties
- Understand what actually drives county-level farm payments. Read the guide
County figures (2022 NASS Census of Agriculture) are a separate population from USDA ERS state and national payment series and must not be summed together.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many farms are in Madison County, Iowa?
Madison County, Iowa has 1,133 farms (2022 USDA Census). Average farm size 275 acres; land stamp CROP-LED.
What is the total agricultural production value of Madison County?
Madison County's total commodity sales are $235.5M (2022 Census of Agriculture), ranking #76 among 99 counties in Iowa.
How much federal farm assistance does Madison County receive?
Madison County received $4.8M in federal government farm program receipts (2022), stamping HEAVY on NASS payments-per-acre ($15.35/acre) with a CROP-LED land mix.
What is the net farm income in Madison County?
Net cash farm income for operations in Madison County is $55.3M (2022 Census of Agriculture).
State Overview
Iowa
99 counties · View state farm data
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2022 Census of Agriculture · 2022
Dollar values reflect calendar year 2022 farm operations data.
PlainFarmData is an independent data portal, not affiliated with USDA, FSA, or any government agency. For official program eligibility or application guidance, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
Intensity stamp HEAVY · land stamp CROP-LED (NASS payments-per-acre / cropland share bands).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Verify with USDA NASS Census of Agriculture →
County farm figures on this page are rendered from the USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, no number is typed in by an editor. Census county totals are not a roll-up of the USDA ERS state payment series. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.